


Loss Of Innocence

by spilled_notes



Category: Holby City
Genre: Episode Remix, F/F, what sort of timeline does this fit? who even knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 17:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12017418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilled_notes/pseuds/spilled_notes
Summary: A reworking of 17.42. Arthur isn't the only one who gets an unexpected eyeful of Sian's 'man magnets'.





	Loss Of Innocence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sevtacular](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevtacular/gifts).



Siân looks around the ward with interest, glad to have something to take her mind off all the tests the two young doctors are running, off the concerned expressions on their faces, off the pain. In fact a part of her is grateful for the pain as it’s provided something of a golden opportunity to spy on Serena. Because her friend is dating someone – a colleague – and whatever Siân tries she refuses to tell her who it is.

‘So is your mystery lover working today?’ she asked when she arrived and Serena came over to see her.

Serena hadn’t answered – not in words, anyway. But Siân took her smile and the slight colouring of her cheeks as a yes, and has been on the lookout for him ever since. She wouldn’t admit it but so far she’s stumped. Everyone here seems so young – not a problem for her, of course, but Serena’s never been one for the younger man when it comes to anything beyond a bit of harmless fun, anything lasting or serious. By the way Serena has been talking and acting, Siân’s pretty sure this relationship falls into that category.

Finally a more likely candidate walks onto the ward and stops Serena to talk to her. He’s older than they are but not unattractive and Siân sits up a little and watches closely, wishes they were closer so she could hear what they’re saying. But soon she slumps back against her pillows because there’s nothing in their interaction to suggest anything between them – and Siân knows Serena’s not a good enough actress to be able to hide it. She thinks about trying to tease it out of one of the young doctors, or perhaps the nurse, but that feels too much like admitting defeat and she’s not ready for that. Later in the day maybe, because she’s determined not to leave AAU until she finds out, but not yet.

*

Bernie’s been in theatre all morning, straight into an elective first thing and a trauma after that. When she comes back onto the ward she glances around and sees that everything is quiet – as quiet as AAU ever is. Like they always do her eyes seek out Serena, look for that familiar figure and the leopard print blouse she watched her pull on this morning, but she isn’t there. She’s waiting for her in their office, as is a cup of coffee placed in the only clear spot on her desk.

‘Lifesaver,’ Bernie says gratefully, taking a sip. ‘Everything ok?’

‘Yes, yes, fine,’ Serena replies, her hand toying with the hair at the nape of her neck.

Bernie’s brow wrinkles and her eyes narrow. ‘You sure about that?’

‘My friend Siân’s here.’

‘Is she alright?’

‘Oh yes. I’ve given her to Arthur to keep him away from the trauma cases today, he and Morven are running the usual tests to see what’s going on.’

‘Are you just worried about her?’ Bernie asks, moving to perch on the edge of Serena’s desk. ‘Or is there something else bothering you?’

‘It’s– oh, it’s nothing, darling.’

‘Ok,’ Bernie relents, knowing when not to push, knowing Serena will talk to her when she’s ready.

She finishes her coffee, leaves Serena working through her stack of admin and goes to check on her trauma patient from earlier. When she’s spoken to him she sees Arthur emerge from the curtains drawn around bay three looking even paler and more flustered than he has all day, strides over to find out what’s got him in such a state.

‘Everything alright?’ she asks, opening the curtains and freezing, her eyes widening as she finds herself face to face with a pair of breasts.

‘Oh come now, Doctor–?’

‘Ms Wolfe. Bernie’s fine,’ she says automatically.

‘The way you doctors behave you’d think you’d never seen breasts before,’ the woman teases.

‘Oh, she definitely has,’ Cara manages, she and Morven holding back giggles as Bernie’s cheeks flush and she hastily excuses herself. As she heads for the scrub room, she’s never been so glad for dull, routine electives.

*

‘You should bring your mystery man for dinner too,’ Siân says after Arthur has left them giggling like schoolgirls and they’ve pulled themselves together again enough to speak. ‘Come on, Serena, won’t you just tell me who he is?’

Serena glances over at Bernie, who’s just come back from theatre, and decides the fun of seeing Siân trying to work it out isn’t worth it any longer. ‘Actually it, uh, it isn’t a man.’

Siân follows her gaze and sees Bernie’s bright, wide smile as she meets Serena’s eye, sees a matching smile on her friend’s face. ‘Oh,’ she breathes. ‘I didn’t see that one coming.’

‘Me neither,’ Serena admits, her eyes still fixed on Bernie.

And then Bernie’s eyes slip to one side and she sees where Serena is, sees who she’s chatting away to, and she blushes and ducks her head and hotfoots it into the office.

Serena frowns, turns back to Siân and looks at her accusingly. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve been scaring all my staff?’ she asks, eyebrow quirked.

‘She may have got rather an eyeful – of the twins,’ Siân admits. ‘Oh come on, it’s nothing she hasn’t seen before – doesn’t see on a regular basis if she’s sleeping with you.’

‘Siân,’ Serena reprimands her quietly, blushing.

‘She didn’t seem all that interested,’ Siân muses. ‘Maybe my earlier assessment was wrong.’

‘I’ll have you know Bernie hasn’t made any complaints. Seems perfectly content with my breasts just the way they are, in fact.’

*

When Serena goes back to their office she finds Bernie staring at her computer, pretending to work.

‘Siân’s going to take us out for dinner tomorrow,’ she says casually, pressing her lips together to hide a smile at Bernie’s obvious discomfort.

‘I can’t,’ Bernie mumbles, glancing at Serena, her eyes wide and her brow creased.

‘Have you got plans?’ Serena frowns, leaning on the desk beside her, because she knows full well that she hasn’t. ‘It’s just I’d really like it if you got to know each other – she’s one of my oldest friends.’

‘I know,’ Bernie almost whines.

‘Then what, darling?’ Serena asks, her hand on Bernie’s shoulder.

‘I– well, it’s just– she– and I–’ Bernie’s stutters, blushing, hiding her eyes behind her fringe.

‘In English, Bernie?’

‘I walked in to find her showing off her plastic surgery,’ she says, so quickly the words run together and if Serena didn’t already know she’d have struggled to understand.

‘I’m sorry, what was that?’ Serena asks, not above a little teasing.

Bernie sighs. ‘I walked in to find her showing Morven and Cara her – enhancements,’ she repeats, raising her head to look at Serena pleadingly.

Serena raises one eyebrow, draws her hand back and folds her arms, forces herself to keep a straight face just a little longer. ‘You what?’

‘I didn’t know, I swear. I didn’t mean to– well, to see your best friend’s breasts.’

Serena leans closer, knows Bernie will be getting a view of her cleavage as she does. ‘And what did you think of them?’ she asks, voice low and dangerous.

‘I didn’t look that closely,’ Bernie protests.

‘You must have got a decent view. Better than the real thing, do you think? Siân suggested I should have some work done, offered to give me the name of her surgeon.’

That makes Bernie look at her, head snapping up so their eyes meet. ‘No,’ she blurts, hand reaching out to Serena but hesitating between them. ‘You’re perfect just as you are,’ she says quietly.

‘Do you think so?’ she asks, unable to stop her voice softening at the adoration and earnestness on Bernie’s face, unable to stop her body tilting closer to Bernie.

‘Yes. No surgical enhancement could ever be half as gorgeous as you, however good the surgeon.’

Serena reaches for her hovering hand and twines their fingers, and Bernie gets up to stand between her legs.

‘Am I forgiven?’ she asks quietly.

‘For what?’

Bernie tilts her head, raises her eyebrows as if to say _you know what_.

‘Oh, Siân? Yes, darling. Besides,’ she adds, eventually taking pity on her, ‘she shows them to everyone. Can’t help herself.’

‘You knew, didn’t you?’ Bernie asks accusingly. ‘You knew, and you’ve been teasing me.’

‘She may have let it slip,’ Serena admits.

‘Minx,’ Bernie pouts, her eyes glittering.

‘Mm, but you wouldn’t want me any other way.’

‘Damn right I wouldn’t,’ Bernie agrees. She cants forward until they’re as close as either of them will allow at work, the merest breath of air between them.

Serena eyes flick from Bernie’s dark eyes to her lips just as her tongue darts out to wet them. ‘God, I could devour you right now,’ she murmurs.

‘Likewise,’ Bernie says, tip of her nose just brushing Serena’s. ‘Later,’ she promises, drawing away and sauntering from the room, knowing Serena’s gaze is fixed on her.

Serena casts her eyes up to the ceiling, hand fluttering around her neck as she lets out a long, unsteady breath.

Unnoticed by either of them Siân lifts her eyes over the top of her magazine, sees their matching flushed cheeks and Serena’s almost pained expression.

‘So, Serena and Ms Wolfe,’ she says quietly when Cara comes to do her obs.

‘Figured it out then,’ Cara smiles. ‘She seems happy – both of them do.’

‘And still in the honeymoon phase, by the look of things.’

‘No comment,’ Cara says. ‘Oh no, that won’t work on me,’ she adds when Siân flutters her eyelashes. ‘That sort of gossip’s more than my job’s worth – more than my life’s worth.’

Siân pouts and settles into her pillows, but soon brightens up. ‘I’ll get it out of them anyway. We can all be bosom buddies.’

Serena looks up at the sound of raucous peals of laughter. When she sees where it’s coming from she suppresses a groan, and wonders just how soon she can discharge her friend.


End file.
